Staceys Return
by Jabi07
Summary: Stacey returns to Walford to help get her family back together but will things get better or much worse?


**Part One- Home Sweet Home**

Stacey felt her palms shake underneath Lilly`s body as she watched the train pull into the all to familiar station, she felt all clammy and slightly nauseous as the thought of facing Lauren and the rest of the Brannings! She was in two minds on whether she should come back or not but after two nights of playing it all through her mind she knew that she had to come back and help her family. Stacey lifted her pushchair and placed Lilly inside buckling the straps around her daughter before wheeling the pushchair onto the platform, the air was cool and there was a calmness surrounding her which was unusual for London! but as she got assited by a stranger with getting the pushchair down the steps thats when it atually hit her she was in Walford!

"So you made it then!" She turned to see Lauren leaning coolly against the train station wall, her hair covering her face which gave a half smile in Stacey`s direction,

"I thought maybe you wouldn`t come!"

"Well I wasn`t myself!"

"Don`t blame your confusion! so you want to head back to where youll be staying?" Stacey nodded as she studied the young girl standing before her, Lauren seemed differant! she didn`t know how or what had changed but Stacey smiled at Lauren as she lead her through the Square, a place that was alway`s home to Stacey! Stacey instantly smiled as she realised where Lauren was taking her as a flood of memories swam through her mind, most of them about Bradley.

"Our old House! Is this where Kat is now?"

"Yeah she lives with Joey and Alice" Stacey had know idea who they were but from the way Lauren said Joey she sensed that the girl was smitten!

"Oh I see! how is she coping then?" Lauren shrugs her shoulders and sighed,

"Uncle Derek screwed her up!"

"Is that who she slept with?" Lauren nods her face turning serious,

"Before we go inside you should know that Alice and Joey are Derek`s children so you mustn`t say nothing against him got it!"

"Oh yeah course Lauren!" that`s when my mind raced,

"Hang on Lauren you seeing your cousin?" Lauren blushed slightly and her whole expression softened oh god! just like I use to do when I thought about Bradley!

"I understand Lauren!" I say taking her hand and squeezing it tightly, we both stood outside my old front door waiting for it to open our hands clutching each other both supporting each other,

"Lauren! oh Hi you must be Stacey come on in!" A friendly brown haired girl said smiling warmly at all of us as we entered the warm hallway, I admired how much it had changed inside, fortnatley for my sanity it seemed like a different house.

"Stacey!" Kat came out of the Kitchen her face spreading into a huge grin as she hurried over to us, bending down and taking a closer look of lily in her pushchair,

"Aw she`s gorgeous! just like her Mummy!"

"Well I don`t know about that!" I smirk making Kat smile up at me, closer up she looked tired she had black marks under her eyes and she wore hardly any make up it`s like the life and spirit has been killed out of her! We all made our way into the sitting room smiling awkwardly at each other the silence getting quite tense.

"Uh alright!" In walks a young muscular boy who smiles warmly at Alice and Lauren ah so this is the mysterious Joey!

"Joey this is Stacey who I told you about!" Lauren says getting up and kisses him gently on the lips,

"Oh yeah of course nice to meet you!" I smile at the pair of them happy at the way they looked intensely at each other remembering how it felt when Bradley looked at me with that much affection. The next Morning I woke up and made my way downstairs to the Kitchen where Alice was sat eating toast whilst reading a newspaper,

"Uh morning!" I say making my way over to the fridge, Alice looked up and smiled,

"Oh good Morning! how did you sleep?!"

"Uh good thanks! reading anything interesting?"

"Uhm Job vacancies!" I wish I hadn`t asked as her face fell and her eyes began to shine as tears were about to form, I leaned over and rubbed her arm gently,

"Sorry I didn`t mean to upset you!"

"It`s okay! your wern`t to know!" that was the only conversation we had all through Breakfast, both of us knowing that the conversation had pretty much died. I made my way nervously over to the Branning`s house my stomach knotting with fear and anxiety, but as soon as the door opened the welcome I got was overwhelming from Abi! She had a huge grin on her face as she wrapped her arms excitedly around my neck.

"I`m so happy your back! I`ve really missed you!"

"Aw cheers Abi! Uhm is it alright that I come inside?"

"Of course! You can meet Nan!" I walked through the front door and a still grinning Abi led us through to the lounge where a young Oscar was sat watching cartoons next to a bored Lauren who looked up and smiled at me,

"Ah so you decided to visit the mad house then!"

"Yeah thought that I would pop in and say hello to your Parents are they in?!" oddly Lauren and Abi shared an awkward sad expression which made my stomach turn uneasily.

"What?!" I say looking at the two of them waiting for a explantation,

"oh so your the Stacey i`ve heard alot about then!" A older woman walks in through the Kitchen smiling at my direction,

"Nan this is Stacey! Stacey this is my Nan Cora!" Abi said looking much relieved that we had a distraction,

"Oh um nice to meet you Cora. So uh is Max and Tanya here then?"

"Tanya left darling. Max he`s living at the B&B with his wife" Abi looked like she was about to cry as she walked out of the room slamming the door behind her,

"Sorry Stace, Abs catched Dad with Kirsty his wife in bed together!"

"Oh. right so I guess that things haven`t been easy lately!"

"tad understatement!" After listening from Lauren and Cora what has been going on, I left the house to go find Abi as I felt responsible for the girls as Bradley loved them both so much, and would have done everything he could to look out for them. I started looking in the Caff but she wasn`t there then I tried the main Square again she wasn`t there, now i`m walking into the park and there I see Abi sat on a bench by herself shivering as she holds a hot drink in her hands.

"Can I join you?"

"Course. Sorry for earlier"

"It`s alright. Your Sister explained everything"

"Oh right. I feel like such a idiot!"

"Why?!"

"Because I always use to defend him...thought that he made a mistake before...but he always does it...I found out that the hard way I guess!" I reach forward and take Abi`s hand and squeezes it,

"Abi your Dad loves you all! and I`m not defend him but...sometimes your Dad does things in the moment and dosen`t think about the damage that he`s causing!"

"Yeah that`s true! So when can I see Lilly?"

"Tell you what how bout we go see her now yeah!"

"Yeah! Love to see her!" The smile that I`m use to seeing reappears onto Abi`s face as we walk arm in arm through the square and into Kat`s house,

"Oh alright Abi darlling!"

"Uh hi Kat!" we all enter the lounge where Lilly and Tommy are sat watching cartoons, Abi walks forward and bends down and touches Lilly`s hand,

"Hello Lilly I`m Auntie Abi!" I watch them both feeling the lump raising in my throat and my eyes beginning to water, Bradley would have loved this watching Abi and Lauren bond with his daughter, being with family thats what i`ve missed out since leaving Walford.


End file.
